ANS November 2020

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ANS-334 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Paul Stoetzer 28 Nov '20

28 Nov '20

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-334 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and commun- icating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor at amsat.org. You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans In this edition: * Happy 7th Birthday AMSAT-OSCAR 73 (FUNcube-1) * Neutron-1 Signals Received * GridMaster Awards #20-#25 Issued * Changes to the AMSAT TLE Distribution for November 26th * ARISS News * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Satellite Shorts from All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-334.01 ANS-334 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 334.01 From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE November 29, 2020 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-334.01 Happy 7th Birthday AMSAT-OSCAR 73 (FUNcube-1) AO-73 celebrated its 7th birthday in orbit last weekend. Launched on November 21, 2013 at 07:10 UTC on a Dnepr rocket, FUNcube-1 was launched along with 31 other satellites, 19 of which carried amateur radio payloads. With just a few resets over 7 years, the satellite continues in operation today. Paul Stoetzer N8HM is sponsoring an award for contacts made via the satellite. The award aims to promote activity on AO-73. https://amsat-uk.org/funcube/73-on-73-award/ [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Neutron-1 Signals Received Following deployment from the ISS on November 5th, no signals were intially received from Neutron-1. Thanks to SatNOGS and the efforts of the amateur radio community, several beacons were eventually received and decoded. The HSFL team has concluded that the satellite is in a normally charging deep sleep mode. The Neutron-1 sends a huge thank you to JA0CAW, VK2DWT, and all the other ham radio operators listening for the beacon! The team is working to decode the .wav files sent over. Thanks to the beacon receptions, Neutron-1 has been identified as NORAD object 46923 and is now included in AMSAT's TLE distribution. More information about the Neutron-1 mission can be found at https://www.hsfl.hawaii.edu/ [ANS thanks the Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Purchase AMSAT Gear on our Zazzle storefront. 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ GridMaster Awards #20-#25 Issued Recent roves have generated a number of applications for AMSAT's GridMaster Award, including four applications on November 23rd. 20 Martin A. Schuette N9EAT November 1, 2020 21 Kevin Zari KK4YEL November 19, 2020 22 Robert Sours K9UO November 23, 2020 23 Chris Tabor K7TAB November 23, 2020 24 Paul Overn KE0PBR November 23, 2020 25 Casey Tucker KI7UNJ November 23, 2020 The GridMaster Award is AMSAT's most prestigious operating award. This award was first introduced by Star Comm Group in 2014. AMSAT thanks Damon Runion, WA4HFN, and Rick Tillman, WA4NVM, for not only sponsoring this award since its inception, but, also, entrusting AMSAT with the honor of carrying on this important award for the benefit of the entire AMSAT community. The GridMaster award is available to all amateurs worldwide who submit proof with written confirmation of contacts with each of the 488 maidenhead grids located within the contiguous United States of America. [ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Changes to the AMSAT TLE Distribution for November 26th The following satellites have been and added to this week's AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution: BY70-3 - NORAD Cat ID 46839 - BY70-3 is not transmitting on its coordinated frequency of 437.443 MHz. BY70-3 is transmitting on an uncoordinated frequency of 437.600 MHZ. Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO, for verifying the NORAD Cat ID's and transmitting frequencies for the above satellite. Neutron-1 - NORAD Cat ID 46923. The following satellites have decayed from orbit and have been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution: UiTMSat 1 - NORAD Cat ID 43589 (Decayed on November 20, 2020 per Space-Track). Maya 1 - NORAD Cat ID 43590 (Decayed on November 19, 2020 per Space-Track). [ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5GQD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT's GOLF Program is about getting back to higher orbits, and it all begins with GOLF-TEE – a technology demonstrator for deployable solar panels, propulsion, and attitude control. Come along for the ride. The journey will be worth it! https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ ARISS News Amur State University, Blagoveshchensk, Russia, direct via TBD The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz The scheduled astronaut is Sergey Ryzhikov Contact is go for Thu 2020-12-03 08:45 UTC Scuola Secondaria di I grado “Anna Frank”, Pistoia, Italy, telebridge via IK1SLD The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz The scheduled astronaut is Victor Glover KI5BKC Contact is go for: Fri 2020-12-04 12:25:22 UTC 50 deg Tecumseh High School Electronics and Amateur Radio, Tecumseh, OK, direct via K5THS The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz The scheduled astronaut is Shannon Walker KD5DXB Contact is go for: Fri 2020-12-04 18:33:30 UTC 78 deg Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is looking for Luther Burbank School alumni who participated in the ham radio contact on Dec. 21 2000, in relation to our 20th year Anniversary celebration. Please contact Charlie Sufana AJ9N at aj9n at aol.com for more info. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, ARISS Operations, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events Want to see AMSAT in action or learn more about amateur radio in space? AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. No upcoming presentations listed [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows, and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Upcoming Satellite Operations No upcoming roves listed Please submit any additions or corrections to ke0pbr at gmail.com [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an amateur radio package, including two-way communication capability, to be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit. Support AMSAT's projects today at https://www.amsat.org/donate/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Satellite Shorts From All Over + Sean Kutzko, KX9X, has released his latest video on amateur satellite operation for DX Engineering. Follow along as he walks you through an entire linear satellite pass, complete with notes and annotations: https://youtu.be/cwtmP1sDL9g + A photo of AMSAT's RadFxSat-2 / Fox-1E while it awaits integration is prominently featured in Virgin Orbit's new blog post regarding the upcoming launch of LauncherOne: https://tinyurl.com/ANS-334-VO + The Wireless Institute of Australia is working on a plan to coordinate building Australian amateur radio satellites and has a draft policy out for member review and comment: https://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2020/20201121-1/index.php + Take a Trip to the Moon — and an Artemis Launch — with the Artemis Moon Pod Essay Contest! Take remote learning a little further — as in 250,000 miles further. NASA collaborated with Future Engineers to create the Artemis Moon Pod Essay Contest. The contest, open to U.S. students in grades K-12, launches on Tuesday, Sept. 15 and runs through Dec. 17, 2020, challenging participants to imagine leading a one-week expedition to the Moon’s South Pole. Just imagine: You and a crew of astronauts will explore the lunar surface, making discoveries to assist future explorers. Describe your team — the number of astronauts in your crew, the skills they possess, their personality traits, and the attributes you would want in crewmates. Next, what machine, piece of technology, or robot would you leave behind on the lunar surface to help future astronauts explore the Moon? To enter the contest, students must submit their essays by Dec 17. The essays will be divided into three groups, for judging by grade level – K-4, 5-8, and 9-12. Make sure to check out the full list of contest details, including that your essay should be no more than 100 words (grades K-4), 200 words (grades 5-8), or 300 words (grades 9-12). Students can sign up individually at the contest site or teachers can register their entire class. Every student who submits an essay will receive an official certificate and be invited to a NASA virtual event featuring an astronaut! Semifinalists will be invited to represent their state or territory in a series of Artemis Explorer sessions with NASA experts. Nine finalists will have the opportunity to travel with a parent to NASA’s Johnson Space Center next summer to learn about lunar exploration. The national winner in each grade division will win a family trip to see the first Artemis flight test, watching the most- powerful rocket in the world launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/stem/artemis-essay-contest/ (NASA press release) + Several new products are available on the AMSAT Zazzle store, including a set of coasters, a watch, a t-shirt featuring the AMSAT round logo, and more. Check out the new items! 25% of the purchase price goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear + AMSAT Remove Before Flight keychains are again available on the AMSAT store. Purchases help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/product/amsat-remove-before-flight-keychain/ + All issues of The AMSAT Journal dating back to 2014 are now available to AMSAT members on AMSAT's new membership portal. The 1969-2013 archive will be added at a later date. All editions of AMSAT's Symposium Proceedings are also available for members. If you're a current AMSAT member, get logged on today. If you are not yet a member, consider joining today at https://launch.amsat.org/ + The 2020 edition of AMSAT’s Getting Started with Amateur Satellites is now available on the AMSAT store. A perennial favorite, Getting Started is updated every year with the latest amateur satellite information, and is the premier primer of satellite operation. The book is presented in DRM-free PDF format, in full color, and covers all aspects of making your first contacts on a ham radio satellite. The digital download is available for $15 at https://tinyurl.com/2020GettingStarted. The print edition is $30 plus shipping and is available at https://tinyurl.com/GS2020Print --------------------------------------------------------------------- /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi- tional benefits. President's Club donations may be made at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-PresClub. Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space, This week's ANS Editor, Paul Stoetzer, N8HM n8hm at amsat dot org

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ANS-327 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for Nov. 22
by Mark Johns, K0JM 21 Nov '20

21 Nov '20

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-327 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and commun- icating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor(a)amsat.org You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans In this edition: * SpaceX Dragon Capsule Ferries Four Radio Amateurs to the ISS * September/October Issue Of The AMSAT Journal Is Now Available * New Launch Date for EASAT-2 and Hades Satellites * Arecibo Observatory Faces Demolition After Cable Failures * DX Portable Operation Planned From Thailand Grid NK99 * Human Error Blamed For Vega Launch Failure * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for November 19 * Moscow Aviation Institute Plans SSTV Event from ISS * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-327.01 ANS-327 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 327.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE 2020 November 22 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-327.01 SpaceX Dragon Capsule Ferries Four Radio Amateurs to the ISS A SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying four radio amateurs autonomously docked on November 17 at 0401 UTC with the International Space Station (ISS). A SpaceX Falcon 9 launcher carrying the precious payload went into space on Sunday, November 15, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. They comprise the ISS Expedition 64/65 crew. "Well, the ISS is loaded with hams now," Amateur Radio on the Inter- national Space Station (ARISS) US Delegate for ARRL Rosalie White, K1STO, said on Tuesday. "These four arrived very early this morning Eastern Time: NASA astronauts Victor Glover, KI5BKC; Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, and Shannon Walker, KD5DXB, as well as Japan Aerospace Explora- tion Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP." This marks Glover's first time in space. The others all are ISS veterans. Earlier this year, NASA ISS Ham Project Coordinator Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, held amateur radio licensing study sessions for Glover, who passed the Technician-class exam on August 20. The four will remain on station until next spring. They joined Expedi- tion 64 Commander Sergey Ryzhikov and Flight Engineer Sergey Kud- Sverchkov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, on the ISS. White said all but Noguchi likely will take part in ARISS contacts with schools. White said the first school contact is tentatively scheduled for December 4 with Tecumseh High School in Oklahoma, home of the Tecumseh High School Amateur Radio Club, K5THS. She said the students have earned their ham licenses, and the club has built an antenna and is learning about satellites and circuits. Members of the South Cana- dian Amateur Radio Society of Norman, Oklahoma, are providing support and mentoring assistance. The Sunday launch from Kennedy Space Center marked only the second crewed-flight for the SpaceX Crew Dragon, which became the first commer- cial vehicle to put humans into orbit when astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, KE5GGX, launched in May, and NASA gave SpaceX the go for future such launches. "The return of human spaceflight to the United States with one of the safest, most advanced systems ever built is a turning point for Amer- ica's future space exploration," SpaceX claimed, "and it lays the groundwork for missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond." (ANS thanks ARRL for the above information) +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AMSAT office is closed until further notice. For details, please visit https://www.amsat.org/amsat-office-closed-until-further-notice/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ September/October Issue Of The AMSAT Journal Is Now Available The September/October 2020 issue of The AMSAT Journal is now available to members on AMSAT’s Member Portal (https://launch.amsat.org/) The AMSAT Journal is a bi-monthly magazine for amateur radio in space enthusiasts, published by the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT). Each issue is your source for hardware and software projects, technical tips, STEM initiatives, operational activities, and news from around the world. Inside the Current Issue: - Apogee View - Robert Bankston, KE4AL - Engineering Update – Jerry Buxton, N0JY - Educational Relations Update - Alan Johnston, KU2Y - A Guide to the AMSAT CubeSatSim - Alan Johnston, KU2Y; Pat Kilroy, N8PK; Jim McLaughlin, KI6ZUM; David White, WD6DRI - User Services Update – Robert Bankston, KE4AL - For Beginners — Amateur Radio Satellite Primer VII – Keith Baker, KB1SF/VA3KSF - A 3D-Printed Parasitic Lindenblad Antenna for 70 cm - Times Two! - Curt Laumann, K7ZOO; Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO - In Search of the Ultimate DX - Scott Tilley, VE7TIL [ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive VP, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- New Launch Date for EASAT-2 and Hades Satellites AMSAT-EA President Felix Paez, EA4GQS, has announced the scheduled launch date for AMSAT-EA satellites EASAT-2 and HADES. Flying with SpaceX, the two nanosats are scheduled for launch on January 14, 2021. They have been already delivered and integrated on the Alba Orbital deployer. The satellites have been configured to act as FM voice and FSK data repeaters and not as linear transponders as was the initial plan. In any case, they are believed to be the smallest satellites ever given such a function, as their size is only 7.5 x 5 x 5 cm. Hades also flies a SSTV camera that will take and send pictures each 15 minutes. The camera module design is based on the one used in the PSAT2 satellite, adapted for AMSAT-EA by the Brno University of Technology. Hades – FM voice repeater, callsign AM6SAT uplink 145.925 MHz (no tone), downlink 436.888 MHz EASAT-2 – FM voice repeater, callsign AM5SAT uplink 145.875 MHz (no tone), downlink 436.666 MHz Both satellites have also digitized FM voice beacons and FSK data re- peaters. These are the first satellites built by AMSAT-EA, with the project leaders being all Spanish radio amateurs and almost all the engineering made by radio amateurs with help of students of two universities. While AMSAT-EA doesn't have the flight heritage of other AMSAT organizations, this is an important step for the organization as it moves to improve skills in order to build better satellites for the radio amateur satel- lite service in the future. More information and photos of these and other upcoming AMSAT-EA pro- jects is available at https://bit.ly/3lNjTJq [ANS thanks AMSAT-EA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Arecibo Observatory Faces Demolition After Cable Failures After withstanding hurricanes and earthquakes, playing central roles in movies like “GoldenEye” and “Contact,” Puerto Rico’s famed Arecibo Observatory, once the largest radio telescope in the world, will be demolished because of cable failures that left its huge detector plat- form too unstable to attempt repairs. “After reviewing the engineering assessment, we have found no path for- ward that would allow us to do so safely,” said Sean Jones, assistant director for the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate at the National Science Foundation. “We know that a delay in decision making leaves the entire facility at risk of an uncontrolled collapse, unnecessarily jeopardizing people and also the additional facilities.” Operated by the NSF through the University of Central Florida, the iconic observatory is made up of a fixed 1,000-foot-wide dish antenna built into a bowl-like depression that reflects radio waves or radar beams to a 900-ton instrument platform suspended 450 feet above by cables stretching from three support towers. For 57 years, the observatory has played a leading role observing deep space targets, bodies in the solar system and, using powerful lasers, the composition and behavior of Earth’s upper atmosphere. But the beginning of the end came on Aug. 10 when an auxiliary cable installed in the 1990s pulled free of its socket on one support tower and crashed onto the dish below, ripping a 100-foot-long gash. Engineers were developing repair plans when one of the main 3-inch-wide cables attached to the same tower unexpectedly snapped on Nov. 6, causing the instrument platform to tilt and putting additional stress on the remaining cables. An analysis showed the cable failed in calm weather at about 60 percent of of its minimum breaking strength. Inspections of other cables showed fresh wire breaks and slippage in several auxiliary cable sockets that were added to the structure in the 1990s. An engineering firm hired by the University of Central Florida to assess the structure concluded it would be unsafe to proceed with repairs. Even stress tests to determine the strength of the remaining cables could trigger a catastrophic collapse. Instead, engineers recommended a controlled demolition, bringing down the suspended instrument platform in a way that will prevent damage to other structures at the periphery of the dish by making sure the towers themselves don’t collapse and by ensuring no cables whip into those structures. “The telescope is at serious risk of an unexpected, uncontrolled col- lapse,” said Ralph Gaume, director of NSF’s Division of Astronomical Sciences. “According to engineering assessment, even attempted stabil- ization, or testing the table could result in accelerating the catas- trophic failure. “Engineers cannot tell us the safety margin of the structure, but they have advised NSF that the structure will collapse in the near future on its own.” Plans for bringing down the instrument platform have not yet been fin- alized and it’s not yet known whether explosives will be used in a controlled demolition or whether it might be possible to somehow lower the platform to the dish below. However it plays out, the 1,000-foot-wide telescope will essentially be destroyed. While the laser facility and visitor’s center will hope- fully be preserved, the radio telescope itself will be no more. [ANS thanks SpaceflightNow for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows, and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ DX Portable Operation Planned From Thailand Grid NK99 The Thailand’s Amateur Radio Satellite group (AMSAT-HS) has requested permission to establish a temporary station (DX portable) with the northern office of the NBTC, Thailand’s regulator, in Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son (grid NK99) provinces in the north of Thailand during the period from November 26-28, 2020 to communicate via All LEO and MEO amateur radio satellites (including QO-100 NB) that pass over Thailand using the callsign HS0AJ/P of the Radio Amateur Society of Thailand under the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King. Hence we would like to notify all radio amateurs who would interested in contacting stations in Thailand on its northern border of this ac- tivity. Even if the angle is as low as 0 degrees please try to contact us. We hope to meet you on all satellites frequency then. Operator by: E21EJC KoB and HS1JAN NaN [ANS thanks Tanan Rangseeprom, HS1JAN, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Human Error Blamed For Vega Launch Failure Arianespace executives said Nov. 17 that the failure of a Vega launch the previous day was caused when the rocket’s upper stage tumbled out of control due to incorrectly installed cables in a control system. In a call with reporters, Roland Lagier, chief technical officer of Arianespace, said the first three stages of the Vega rocket performed normally after liftoff from Kourou, French Guiana, at 8:52 p.m. Eastern Nov. 16. The Avum upper stage then separated and ignited its engine. However, “straightaway after ignition” of the upper stage, he said, the vehicle started to tumble out of control. “This loss of control was permanent, inducing significant tumbling behavior, and then the trajec- tory started to deviate rapidly from the nominal one, leading to the loss of the mission.” Analysis of the telemetry from the mission, along with data from the production of the vehicle, led them to conclude that cables to two thrust vector control actuators were inverted. Commands intended to go to one actuator went instead to the other, triggering the loss of con- trol. “This was clearly a production and quality issue, a series of human errors, and not a design one,” Lagier said. The failure caused the loss of two spacecraft, the SEOSAT-Ingenio Earth observation satellite for Spain and the TARANIS satellite for France to study electromagnetic phenomena in the upper atmosphere. [No amateur satellites were involved -- Ed.] [ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for November 19 The following satellites have been and added to this week's AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution: SALSAT - NORAD Cat ID 46495. Bobcat-1 - NORAD Cat ID 46921. SPOC - NORAD Cat ID 46922. Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO, for verfying the NORAD Cat ID's for the above satellites. The following satellite has decayed from orbit and has been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution: BHUTAN 1 - NORAD Cat ID 43591 (Decayed on November 18, 2020 per Space- Track) [ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Moscow Aviation Institute Plans SSTV Event from ISS Rodolfo Parisio, IW2BSF, reports that a Slow-Scan Television (SSTV) transmission event from the International Space Station is currently scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Dec. 1 starting at 12:30 UTC, ending at 18:25 UTC, and again on Wednesday, Dec. 2 starting at 11:50 UTC and ending at 18:25 UTC. Listen for SSTV signals to be downlinked at 145.800 MHz +/- Doppler shift. The mode of transmission is expected to be PD 120. These times will allow for one pass over the Eastern USA near the end of the sched- uled times. Received images of reasonable quality can be posted at the ARISS SSTV Gallery at https://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/ Future updates on this event will be posted @ARISS_status on Twitter. [ANS thanks Rodolfo Parisio, IW2BSF, for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS NEWS Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. A school contact has been scheduled with Amur State University, Blago- veshchensk, Russia, direct via a ground station to be determined. This contact will be heard over Russian and other parts of Europe on 145.800 MHz on Thursday, Dec. 3 at 08:45 UTC The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS and the scheduled cosmonaut is Sergey Ryzhikov. Welcome aboard to SpaceX-Crew 1 now on orbit! Victor Glover, KI5BKC, Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP, and Shannon Walker, KD5DXB, have joined Kate Rubins, KG5FYJ, and the two cosmonauts, Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov. [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team men- tors for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an amateur radio package, including two-way communication capability, to be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit. Support AMSAT's projects today at https://www.amsat.org/donate/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Upcoming Satellite Operations Upcoming Roves: Quick Hits: Watch Twitter, there are lots pop-up roves happening lately, and I can’t keep this page updated with all of them. FM26/27/28, @N5BO With 6 days off coming up I’m trying to finalize some plans, but as of now I’m looking to head out late next week for the FM26/27/28 area, with a couple grid stops on the way up. I’m also looking at a possible detour on the way back home through the EM97 area. More to come… KH67, 7Q7RU, AO-7, RS-44, QO-100, 11/11 thru 11/21. Major Roves: AD0HJ’s #CoronaReliefThanksgivingMegaRoveBlowout: Not seeing any major roves scheduled for the dates 11/21 – 11/27 so he will be heading south to green up some Kansas style grids starting Saturday evening. More details to come over the next few days: EN00,10: EM18/19 : EM08/DM99 : DM97/EM07 : DM96/EM06 : EM17/EM18 : EM29/EM39. A list of passes here: https://twitter.com/AD0HJ/status/1328883186139590656 Please submit any additions or corrections to Ke0pbr (at) gmail.com [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events Clint Bradford K6LCS has booked his “Work the FM Voice Satellites With Minimal Equipment” presentation for the clubs. TBD – Antelope Valley (CA) ARC TBD – A private presentation for a Boy Scout troop in Danville, Penn. These will be Zoom presentations. Everyone is asked to update their copies of the Zoom application – by directly visiting Zoom.us. Clint is conducting “working the easy satellites” sessions via Zoom on November 19, 2020 at 7pm Pacific. If you are interested in attending, please send him a private email for exact times and Zoom meeting number! [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + Happy 7th birthday to AO-73, FUNcube-1, which was launched on Novem- ber 21,2013. Congratulations to AMSAT-UK on the ongoing success of this project. (ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information) + South Dublin Radio Club has uploaded its latest video to the club's YouTube channel. The video was created for Science Week in collabor- ation with Dublin Maker & Science Foundation Ireland and is called "Signals from Outerspace! Make your own antenna to get images from Weather Satellites." It is designed as a beginner's radio project and instructs viewers on how to construct a very simple V-dipole for 137 MHz, demonstrating how it can be utilised along with a basic SDR and computer in order to decode images from NOAA Weather satellites. It's available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8doUGhNKzdY (ANS thanks Southgate ARC for the above information) + Sean Kutzko, KX9X, is creating a series of YouTube videos for the DX Engineering channel beginning with "How and Why to Get Started in Op- erating Amateur Radio Satellites." Later episodes build on the con- cepts in the first. See the first episode at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp7h4ikthDQ (ANS thanks Sean Kutzko, KX9X, for the above information) + APSS-1, a 1U CubeSat mission with deployable solar panels, built by The University of Auckland (New Zealand), Faculty of Engineering, was launched on November 20. The satellite is intended for monitoring of ionosphere activity and transmission of processed data to ground stations using a 9k6 GMSK AX 25 downlink on 435.100 MHz. APSS-1 will start transmitting 45 minutes after deployment, and will only beacon every 5 minutes initially. (ANS thanks Mark Jessop, VK5QI, for the above information) + The Rocket Lab flight that took APSS-1 to orbit (see immediately above) was notable because Rocket Lab says the first stage of its Electron launcher splashed down under parachute in the Pacific Ocean off New Zealand after firing into space with 30 small satellites, be- coming only the second private company to return an orbital-class booster to Earth intact. The privately-developed Electron rocket has flown 16 times, including Thursday’s mission, but this was the first time an Electron rocket flew with parachutes to attempt a full series of descent maneuvers. (ANS thanks SpaceflightNow for the above information) + NASA "Scan" on Facebook has published a note about ARISS and its 20 years. Look for their post dated on November 16 at: https://www.facebook.com/NASASCaN and add a comment to let them know that we amateur radio ops are here and that it was great they had dedicated a post to ARISS and to all hams! (ANS thanks Fernando Casanova, EC1AME, for the above information) + Talks from the DEF CON event are available on YouTube, they include a number of amateur radio talks from the conference's Ham Radio Vil* lage. Among the amateur radio talks is "Talking to Satellites" by Eric Escobar, KJ6OHH. See the playlist at: https://bit.ly/3fpuwzO (ANS thanks Southgate ARC for the above information) + Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory (HSFL) has updated TLEs for Neutron-1. HSFL appreciates the amateur community who have been listening for Neutron-1’s beacon, and wish to be notified of amateurs still listen- ing for the beacon at n1-info(a)hsfl.hawaii.edu. The new TLEs and other bulletins may be found at https://www.hsfl.hawaii.edu/ (ANS thanks HSFL and JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM, for the above information) + Open Research Institute has announced AmbaSat Inspired Sensors as a formal ORI project. To read the proposal document, visit: https://bit.ly/2KrpcQZ The first work session expected December 2020 to May 2021 centered at Villanova University. The Principal Investi- gator is Dr. Alan Johnston. (ANS thanks Michelle Thompson, W5NYV, AMSAT Board Member, for the above information) + Dave Johnson, G4DPZ, gave an online satellite talk to the Mid Ulster Amateur Radio Club on Nov. 10. The video is now available for every- one to watch on YouTube. The talk covered the many amateur satellites in Low Earth Orbit that operate in the 145 MHz and 435 MHz satellite bands as well as the QO-100 geostationary satellite which uses the 2.4 GHz and 10 GHz bands. Also covered were the new Inter-Operable Radio System which has recently been installed in the ISS Columbus module and Gateway Amateur Radio Exploration (AREx). Watch it at: https://bit.ly/3pNKSXJ (ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information) --------------------------------------------------------------------- /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information. 73 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space, This week's ANS Editor, Mark D. Johns, K0JM k0jm at amsat dot org

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ANS-320 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Mark Johns, K0JM 19 Nov '20

19 Nov '20

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-320 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and commun- icating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor(a)amsat.org You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans In this edition: * Australian Space Communications Station To Feature Optical Data Transfer * WB4APR Seeking high power VHF stations for Leonids Meteor Shower * AMSAT Italia and Italian Space Agency ISS STEAM agreement * ORI sponsors the M17 VOCODER and hardware development * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for November ##, 2020 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over * Tips for the New Operator - Mobile Apps SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-320.01 ANS-320 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 320.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE 2020 November 15 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-320.01 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Australian Space Communications Station Will Feature Optical Data Transfer The University of Western Australia (UWA) is set to install an optical communications station capable of receiving high-speed data transmis- sions from space. The communications station will be able to receive data from spacecraft from anywhere between low-Earth orbit (between 100 miles and 620 miles above Earth's surface) to as far away as the surface of the moon -- some 240,000 miles away. Astrophotonics Group Leader Dr. Sascha Schediwy at UWA and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy (ICRAR) said optical communications are an emerging alterna- tive to radio waves and are expected to drastically improve data trans- fer capabilities from space. "Most current space communications rely on radio waves -- it's the same technology that brought us the voice of Neil Armstrong when the Apollo 11 mission landed on the moon in 1969," Schediwy said. "Free-space op- tical laser communications has several advantages over radio, including significantly faster data rates and hack-proof data transfer. It's the next generation of space communications, and it's likely to be how we'll see high-definition footage of the first woman to walk on the moon." The $535,000 ground station will use a 0.7-meter observatory-grade op- tical telescope donated to ICRAR, which will be fitted with atmospheric noise suppression technology developed at the university. The Western Australian ground station will be a joint venture between the UWA Astrophotonics Group, the ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quan- tum Systems (EQUS), and UK industry partner Goonhilly Earth Station, which handles data traffic and supports secure communications links for major satellite operators including Intelsat, Eutelsat, and SES Satel- lites. Data from the station will be fed to Goonhilly's supercomputer data center in Cornwall, England by high-speed fiber. It will form part of a larger Australasian network of optical stations, led by the Austral- ian National University and supported by partners in South Australia and New Zealand. EQUS Director Andrew White said the Western Australian ground station could be the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere and have ad- ditional applications in research in different fields. Goonhilly Chief Executive Ian Jones said the initiative is driving sat- ellite communications into the next generations of systems and techno- logies needed to support the "enormous" data volumes produced by space missions. "This data arises from science and other missions and, in the future, will come from lunar and Mars missions that involve remote op- erations, robotics, and AI," Jones said. The ground station is expected to be operational from early 2021 and open for business later that year. [ANS thanks Rick Lindquist, WW1ME, Editor of The ARRL Letter for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ WB4APR Seeking high power VHF stations for Leonids Meteor Shower Bob Bruninga, WB4APR is seeking a several AMSAT operators with beams and high power transmitters to join in a Meteor Shower experiment. Bob writes: With the Leonids Meteor shower coming up after Midnight next Monday (Tues AM), maybe its time to have some fun with APRS again! Last time we did this was 1998 and over 48 MS packets were seen over 500 to 600 miles on the APRS channel.. Here is the report: http://aprs.org/APRS-docs/LEONIDS.TXT This year I propose not a free-for-all but just a few HIGH power sta- tions transmitting and everyone else in the country checks the next morning to see what they copied. Best TX stations are those with sev- eral hundred watts and a beam. Even one such station would be a great test, because on 144.39 we would have maybe 10,000 full time normal APRS stations as receivers. In retirement, I don't have the power nor the beam. Up to 15 TX stations with power capability > 100W and beams would par- ticipate. Beams would be pointed toward distant population centers. The 15 transmitting stations will be distributed in various parts of the country would TX a continuous keydown string of short packets for 15 seconds every minute. Special software and APRS ID's will be used. Xmission will be on the 144.39 national APRS channel to maximize the number of people that might copy one. Transmissions begin at midnight local time and runs to 6 AM only to minimize any interference to other operators. This will result in local reception within about 20 miles of the TX station, but since the pac- kets have no path, they can only be heard in simplex range of a trans- mitter or via meteor scatter. If a meteor happens, someone within about 400 to 600 miles is likely capture it. Because the APRS channel load in most areas is only a packet every 3 or 4 seconds and that gives everyone a receive window of 75% of the total slots available. Even if the TX stations are not synchronized, it doesnt matter because a given meteor path only exists for a fraction of a second between two fixed 100 mile or so areas for that instant. The 15 high power TX stations will send is about 30 copies of the APRS grid format in a single burst every minute. This burst would look like: >GG##gg<CR> >GG##gg<CR> >GG##gg<CR> >GG##gg<CR> ... >GG##gg<CR> >GG##gg<CR> The TNC will concatenate probably seven to ten of these at a timel into dense packets with only a single TX delay, not 30 delays. The TNC has UNPROTO set to simply "APRS" no path! And set to CONVErSE.. Adjust the number (30?) till the TX burst lasts 15 seconds each minute. The result is a complete grid in only 200 milliseconds each. Hopefully short enough so that occasionally one will get bounced somewhere by the extremely short meteor path bursts at VHF. Point beam toward an area with a dense ham population that is at least 600 miles away. Vertical or Horizontal polarization will work. The PARS IS will be from the range METEOR-1 through METEOR-15 RX stations will not need to do anything special. Any APRS software should capture and decode and plot a grid report if received overnight. For those who are interested, here is the 1998 experiment page: http://aprs.org/meteors.html Look about 75% down the page for the map of the 1998 2m experiment. [ANS thanks Bob Bruninga, WB4APR for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT Italia and Italian Space Agency ISS STEAM agreement AMSAT Italia and ASI, the Italian Space Agency, have subscribed a three-year framework program for joint initiatives in the area of the scientific culture development with particular interest in the aero- space field. The agreement also aims to develop interest of new genera- tions in the STEAM disciplines: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. In this framework AMSAT Italia will propose the Agency project with particular technical relevance and high dissemination value for a joint technical feasibility and, as national reference for the ARISS project, the association will involve ASI in the school con- tacts with the astronauts on board the ISS. On the other hand ASI will make available the resources at its operation centers for verification activities or test of devices developed for educational purposes. The 2020-2023 framework program subscription confirms the collaboration between the Agency and our Association already started in 2011. More on the event on the AMSAT Italia web site <http://www.amsat.it> (in Italian). [ANS thanks Fabrizio Carrai, IU5GEZ of AMSAT Italia for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ ORI sponsors the M17 VOCODER and hardware development. Open Research Institute is proud to formally sponsor M17, an open source digital radio protocol, code, voice codec, and hardware project. The designs and technology are highly useful for digital radio uplinks or a wide variety of amateur satellite projects. The project is dyna- mic, international, accessible, modern, and welcoming. Open Research Institute is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to open source research and develop- ment for the amateur radio satellite service and beyond. Find out more at https://openresearch.institute Learn about M17 and get involved at https://m17project.org/ [ANS thanks <Michelle Thompson W5NYV, Member AMSAT Board of Directors, CEO Open Research Institute> for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AMSAT office is closed until further notice. For details, please visit https://www.amsat.org/amsat-office-closed-until-further-notice/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for November 12, 2020 The Neutron-1 cubesat was deployed from the ISS on 11-5-2020 at 10:40 UTC, but its NORAD Catalog number has not yet been identified. Neu- tron-1 is a 3U cubeSat built by the Hawaii Space Flight Lab at the Uni- versity of Hawaii. The Hawaii Space Flight Lab has asked the world wide amateur to help collect beacon data as a part of this project. The IARU coordinated beacon frequency is 435.300 MHZ,1200bps BPSK every 60 seconds. AMSAT News Service Bulletin 306.01 has further information on this pro- ject at the following url. https://www.amsat.org/pipermail/ans/2020/001212.html Editor's Note: Also see comment in the Satellite Shorts section. A post launch TLE set (updated 11-9-2020) is available at the following URL. https://www.hsfl.hawaii.edu/ Sources: AMSAT News Service and Hawaii Space Flight Lab A Chinese student/radio amateur satellite BY70-3 was launched 11-6-2020 with a CZ 6 rocket. The IARU coordinated downlink frequency is 437.443 MHz, 8000 bps BPSK. So far no signals have been recieved. Source: Nico Janssen, PA0DLO. [ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows, and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ ARISS NEWS for the week of 8 November, 2020 ARISS has posted a special anniversary message and a video celebrating our 20th Anniversary on the ARISS Web Page: <http://www.ariss.org>. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html A multi-point telebridge contact means that each student will be on the telebridge from their own home. ARISS is very aware of the impact that COVID-19 is having on schools and the public in general. As such, we may have last minute cancella- tions or postponements of school contacts. As always, I will try to provide everyone with near-real-time updates. Watch for future COVID-19 related announcements at https://www.ariss.org/ The following schools have now been postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19: Postponed: No new schools Cancelled: No new schools Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. All dates and times listed follow International Standard ISO 8601 date and time format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS The complete schedule page has been updated as of 2020-11-10 16:00 UTC. (***) Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live. https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt The successful school list has been updated as of 2020-10-14 18:00 UTC. https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf The ARISS webpage is at https://www.ariss.org/. Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. The main page for Applying to Host a Scheduled Contact may be found at https://www.ariss.org/apply-to-host-an-ariss-contact.html ARISS Contact Applications (United States) The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS. ARISS anticipates that the contact would be held between July 1, 2021 and December 30, 2021. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact contact dates. To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and in- tegrate the contact into a well-developed education plan. The deadline to submit a proposal is November 24th, 2020. Proposal in- formation and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and the proposal form can be found at www.ariss.org. An ARISS Intro- ductory Webinar session will be held on October 8, 2020 at 8PM ET. The Eventbrite link to sign up is: https://ariss-proposal-webinar-fall-2020.eventbrite.com The Opportunity Crew members aboard the International Space Station will participate in scheduled Amateur Radio contacts. These radio contacts are approxi- mately 10 minutes in length and allow students to interact with the astronauts through a question-and-answer session. An ARISS contact is a voice-only communication opportunity via Amateur Radio between astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the space station and classrooms and communities. ARISS contacts afford education audiences the opportunity to learn firsthand from astronauts what it is like to live and work in space and to learn about space research conducted on the ISS. Students also will have an opportunity to learn about satel- lite communication, wireless technology, and radio science. Because of the nature of human spaceflight and the complexity of sched- uling activities aboard the ISS, organizations must demonstrate flexi- bility to accommodate changes in dates and times of the radio contact. Amateur Radio organizations around the world with the support of NASA and space agencies in Russia, Canada, Japan and Europe present educa- tional organizations with this opportunity. The ham radio organizations volunteer efforts provide the equipment and operational support to en- able communication between crew on the ISS and students around the world using Amateur Radio. Please direct any questions to ariss.us.education(a)gmail.com. For future proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and proposal form, and dates and times of Informa- tion Webinars, go to www.ariss.org. ARISS Contact Applications (Europe, Africa and the Middle East) Schools and Youth organizations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East interested in setting up an ARISS radio contact with an astronaut on board the International Space Station are invited to submit an applica- tion from September to October and from February to April. Please refer to details and the application form at www.ariss-eu.org/school-contacts. Applications should be addressed by email to: school.selection.manager(a)ariss-eu.org ARISS Contact Applications (Canada, Central and South America, Asia and Australia and Russia) Organizations outside the United States can apply for an ARISS contact by filling out an application. Please direct questions to the appro- priate regional representative listed below. If your country is not specifically listed, send your questions to the nearest ARISS Region listed. If you are unsure which address to use, please send your ques- tion to the ARISS-Canada representative; they will forward your ques- tion to the appropriate coordinator. For the application, go to: https://www.ariss.org/ariss-application.html. ARISS-Canada and the Americas, except USA: Steve McFarlane, VE3TBD email to: ve3tbd(a)gmail.com ARISS-Japan, Asia, Pacific and Australia: Satoshi Yasuda, 7M3TJZ email to: ariss(a)iaru-r3.org, Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL) https://www.jarl.org/ ARISS-Russia: Soyuz Radioljubitelei Rossii (SRR) https://srr.ru/ ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send your reports to aj9n(a)amsat.org or aj9n(a)aol.com. Listen for the ISS on the downlink of 145.8Ã˜ MHz unless otherwise noted. ARISS congratulations the following mentors who have now mentored over 100 schools: Francesco IKÃ˜WGF with 140 Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 138 Sergey RV3DR with 137 Gaston ON4WF with 123 The webpages listed below were all reviewed for accuracy. Out of date webpages were removed, and new ones have been added. If there are ad- ditional ARISS websites I need to know about, please let me know. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school events is 1403. Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 1336. Each contact may have multiple schools sharing the same time slot. Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 48. The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact: South Dakota, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands. QSL information may be found at: https://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html ISS callsigns: DPÃ˜ISS, IRÃ˜ISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSÃ˜ISS Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC https://bit.ly/3kVbNNL Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415 Exp. 63 now on orbit Kate Rubins KG5FYJ Sergey Ryzhikov Sergey Kud-Sverchkov About ARISS: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a coopera- tive venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the ISS National Lab and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engin- eering, and mathematics (STEAM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or public forms. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org. 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team men- tors for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an amateur radio package, including two-way communication capability, to be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit. Support AMSAT's projects today at https://www.amsat.org/donate/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Upcoming Satellite Operations Quick Hits: Note: Watch Twitter, there are lots pop-up roves happening lately, and I can't keep this page updated with all of them. DM89, 11/14 @N6UA Saturday might just be a good day to rove. Thinking of DM89 east of Denver â€“ either around Last Chance or Agate, CO. KH67, 7Q7RU, AO-7, RS-44, QO-100, 11/11 thru 11/21. BRAZIL BAHIA. Sandro Ribeiro PY1SAN and Claudio MARCelo PY1CMT are QRV on the QO-100 satellite (some opportunities AO-07, FO-29 or RS-44) using CW and SSB as ZX6BA from Prado (HH02) 13 to 15 November 2020. The activity will be in several HF bands too, using CW and FT8, por- table Alex Loop Antenna with 5 watts. QSL via LoTW. BRAZIL, ESPIRITO SANTO. Sandro Ribeiro PY1SAN and Claudio MARCelo PY1CMT are QRV on Satellite QO-100 (maybe AO-07, FO-29, RS-44) using CW and SSB as PR1S from Nova Almeida (GG99) from 16 to 18 November 2020. A activity will be in several HF bands too, using CW and FT8, portable Alex Loop Antenna with 5 watts. QSL via LoTW. Major Roves: Maine!!!!!! @KL7TN will be in FN53/54/55/56/57/64/65/66/67 Nov 13-18. Details to follow. Editor's Note: Don't forget to check out Paul Overn's GridMasterHeatMap on Twitter: https://bit.ly/35kUqB3 and Blog at: https://bit.ly/3eOpYT4 Please submit any additions or corrections to KE0PBR (at) gmail.com [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events Clint Bradford K6LCS has booked his "Work the FM Voice Satellites With Minimal Equipment" presentation for the clubs. TBD â€“ Antelope Valley (CA) ARC TBD â€“ A private presentation for a Boy Scout troop in Danville, Penn- sylvania These will be Zoom presentations. Everyone is asked to update their copies of the Zoom application â€“ by directly visiting Zoom.us. Clint will be conducting â€œworking the easy satellitesâ€ sessions via Zoom on November 19, 2020 at 7pm Pacific. If you are interested in attending, please send him a private email for exact times and Zoom meeting number! [ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6CLS for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Satellite Shorts From All Over + Tausat, a 3U CubeSat created by university students at Herzliya Sci ence Center in Israel, received frequency coordination approval from the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) on November 12. It will carry a U/V FM amateur radio transponder, as well as a 9k6 BPSK AX25 telemetry downlink. The builders are planning a JAXA deployment from the ISS in February, 2021. (ANS thanks IARU for the above information) + NASA is inviting the public to take part in virtual activities and events ahead of the launch the agency's SpaceX Crew-1 mission with astronauts to the International Space Station. This is the first crew rotation flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket following certification by NASA for regular flights to the space station as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program. The launch is targeted for 7:49 p.m. EST Saturday, Nov. 14, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Crew Dra- gon is scheduled to dock to the space station at 4:20 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 15. Launch, prelaunch activities, and docking will air live on NASA Television and the agencyâ€™s website. https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive Additional Information is available at: https://go.nasa.gov/38Aii5J (ANS thanks NASA for the above information) + Rocket Lab launch delayed to November 19 UTC. See: https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1327691418970644481 Previous announcement: The next Rocket Lab launch window is scheduled for November 15 UTC at 01:44 to 04:34. It's is called "Return to Sender". They are going to try to recover the first stage by captur- ing it by helicopter as it is descending. See: https://www.rocketlabusa.com/missions/next-mission/ The payload is 30 cubesats, one of which (APSS-1) is a 1U student satellite from Auckland University. This one has a 9600 GMSK downlink in the 70CM band. The format and details are due to be published here in the next few days. https://apss.space.auckland.ac.nz/. To balance the payloads, a 3D printer version of "Gnome Chompski" has been attached to the kick stage. See: https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1323335303008903170 Gabe Newell who made the Gnome is going to donate $1 to Starship Children's Hospital for every person watching the launch live. For information about Starship Children's Hospital, see: https://www.starship.org.nz Editors Note: at time of 11/11/2020 draft, a group message from Mark Jessop, VK5QI indicated that APSS-1's IARU frequency coordination re- quest has not been completed: http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/formal_detail.php?serialnum=669 (ANS thanks Terry Osborne ZL2BAC for passing along the above informa- tion) + NROL-101 Mission Targeting Nov. 13 due to Hurricane Eta (Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., Nov. 11, 2020) -- Due to impending weather and escalation of Hurricane Eta, ULA is now target- ing Friday, Nov. 13, at 5:13 p.m. EST (2213 UTC) for the launch of the NROL-101 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office. See https://bit.ly/35kiIeA for additional information. (ANS thanks the ULA editors for the above information) + NASA has extended the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System mission (CYGNSS) through 2023 with plans to revisit and possibly extend the mission through 2026. The constellation of microsatel- lites designed, built and operated by Southwest Research Institute with the University of Michigan, has made history over the last three- plus years, penetrating thick clouds and heavy rains to accurately assess wind speeds and better understand hurricane intensification. The NASA senior review panel rated the mission extension proposal as excellent, based on the current health of the constellation of instru- ments, particularly considering the low-cost nature of the sensors. (ANS thanks Space Daily for the above information) + SpaceX fired up the three rocket engines of its Starship SN8 proto- type for the second time last night at its testing facilities in Boca Chica, Texas. The event was a powerful blast of orange smoke â€” and flying sparks, as captured by onlookers on video. The video and addi- tional information is available at https://bit.ly/3lmcSPD (ANS thanks futurism.com for the above information) + Two Russian cosmonauts are scheduled to go outside the International Space Station on Wednesday, Nov. 18, to conduct a spacewalk that will initiate preparations for the arrival of a new Russian research module. Expedition 64 Commander Sergey Ryzhikov and Flight Engineer Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, both of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, will relocate an antenna from the Pirs docking compartment, to the Poisk module, the first in a series of tasks over the course of sev- eral spacewalks that will prepare Pirs for decommissioning, undocking, and disposal. The Earth-facing Pirs will be replaced by the new Rus- sian Multipurpose Laboratory Module, named "Nauka," Russian for "sci- ence," which is being prepared for launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The spacewalk is expected to last up to six hours. Live coverage of the Russian spacewalk will begin at 13:30z on NASA Television and the agency's website. The spacewalk is expected to be- gin about 14:30Z. (ANS thanks NASA for the above information) + A Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle lifted off Saturday, Nov. 7 with India's EOS 1 radar imaging satellite and nine rideshare payloads for customers based in the United States, Luxembourg, and Lithuania. The successful mission was Indiaâ€™s first launch in nearly a year due to delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Also on Saturday, a new four-stage rocket operated by the Chinese launch company Galactic Energy succeeded on its inaugural flight, delivering a data relay microsatellite to an orbit 300 miles above Earth. (ANS thanks SpaceflightNow for the above information) + After its release from the ISS, many satellite enthusiasts have lis- tened for a signal from the Hawaii Spaceflight Lab's Neutron-1 cube- sat. Reports have not come flooding in. Shane Pule, KC3PPM shared an email with the UH-SFL with me that outlines a possible explanation: Aloha Shane, Thank you for this information, we appreciate you lis- tening for Neutron-1. We haven't been successful at contacting Neu- tron-1 yet. We have noticed a signal at 435.275MHz while tracking Neutron-1, and we are investigating this in the event that our signal is shifted by 25kHz. We are not sure what could have caused this, but there may be an issue with the SDR tuning onboard the spacecraft. 73, Amber Imai-Hong (ANS thanks < Shane Pule, KC3PPM > for the above information) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Tips for the New Satellite Operator - Mobile Apps This is the second of a what I hope to be a monthly New Satellite Opera- tors Corner. I will offer AMSAT New Operator tips and links to AMSAT resources for new operators and posts from various interest groups where useful info is published. This weeks tip comes from Rick, WA6NDR via TH-D74A(a)groups.io. I hope you find this as useful as I have. Jack, KD4IZ, Editor, AMSAT News Service. There are many websites, cell phone, and desktop apps available for tracking satellites and learning about launches. For the beginner, the choices are bewildering and everyone seems to have a favorite. There are many choices available for all operating systems to choose from. Scott Harvey, KA7FVV, has a very comprehensive website with links to a tremendous amount of great information. He does an excellent job of distilling the basics and presenting them along with some great "how to" information. See: https://bit.ly/3nwx6H9 Scott suggested a number of the rocket launch apps to me recently and I have been exploring them. He also suggested several tracking apps. I don't have an opinion or a recommendation for any of them yet, but I would encourage you to join me in looking these over. Of the launch apps I am looking over, the primary are Launchcraft, Spacelaunch, and Supercluster. All appear to be available for both iOS and Android devices and can be found on the respective "store" sites for each OS. They are news aggregation apps that focus on upcoming space launches as well as offering timetable and post-launch reports. By the my next monthly report, I should be able to address them, but for those who are interested, have at it and tell me what you think. Please let me know if you find an app that is particularly useful. (ANS thanks AMSAT Member Scott Harvey, KA7FVV for sharing this informa- tion and his website) --------------------------------------------------------------------- /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information. 73 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space, This week's ANS Editor, Jack Spitznagel, KD4IZ kd4iz at amsat dot org

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ANS-306 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Paul Stoetzer 31 Oct '20

31 Oct '20

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-306 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and commun- icating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor at amsat.org. You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans In this edition: * Neutron-1 Scheduled for Deployment on November 5th * Upcoming Amateur Satellite Launches * EO-88 Distance Record Set * ARISS News * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Satellite Shorts from All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-306.01 ANS-306 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 306.01 From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE November 1, 2020 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-306.01 Neutron-1 Scheduled for Deployment on November 5th The Neutron-1 3U CubeSat is currently scheduled to be deployed from the ISS on November 5, 2020 at 10:40 UTC. For the first month and during the spacecraft commissioning phase, the beacon will transmit 1200bps BPSK every 60 seconds on the IARU coordinated frequency of 435.300MHz. We welcome the worldwide Amateur community to collect the beacons and forward them to n1-info at hsfl.hawaii.edu. The beacon format is now public and published at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-306-Neutron. After the initial commissioning phase, Amateurs will be able to use the V/U FM repeater during available times and according to the available power budget. Stay tuned for more mission updates on our Twitter account @HSFLNeutron1 and our website https://www.hsfl.hawaii.edu/missions/neutron-1/. [ANS thanks the Hawaii Space Flight Lab at the University of Hawaii for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Amateur Satellite Launches A number of amateur satellites are expected to launch in the next few months. AMSAT's RadFxSat-2 / Fox-1E is expected to launch by the end of this year on the ELaNa XX mission on Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne vehicle. RadFxSat-2 carries a 30 kHz wide V/u linear transponder. The Tevel Mission is a series of 8 Israeli 1U CubeSats carrying FM transponders expected to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 in December. Also from Herzliya Science Center is a 3U CubeSat called Tausat. This is scheduled to launch on a JAXA resupply mission to the ISS for deployment in February. Tausat carries an FM transponder. Finally, AMSAT-EA reports that their PocketQubes EASAT-2 and HADES have been integrated for launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 in December, while GENESIS-L and GENESIS-N have been integrated into their dispenser for launch on Firefly's Alpha rocket. More information can be found at https://www.amsat-ea.org/ [ANS thanks AMSAT, AMSAT-EA, AMSAT-UK, and the IARU for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Purchase AMSAT Gear on our Zazzle storefront. 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ EO-88 Distance Record Set Jérôme LeCuyer, F4DXV, set yet another record this past week, this time via EO-88. On October 28, 2020 at 19:27 UTC, Jérôme worked R9LR at a distance of 4,560 km. F4DXV is now one of the QSO partners for distance records on 10 LEO satellites. RS-44, AO-7(B), FO-29, AO-91, AO-27, SO-50, AO-92 (U/v), LilacSat-2 (FM), EO-88, TO-108. R9LR is one of the QSO partners for records on 4 LEO satellites: PO-101, LilacSat-2 (FM), EO-88, and TO-108. For a list of currently claimed distance records via amateur satellites, past and present, visit https://www.amsat.org/satellite-distance-records/. [ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive Vice President, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT's GOLF Program is about getting back to higher orbits, and it all begins with GOLF-TEE – a technology demonstrator for deployable solar panels, propulsion, and attitude control. Come along for the ride. The journey will be worth it! https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ ARISS News No ARISS contacts or events are currently scheduled. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html The deadline for United States organizations to submit an ARISS contact proposal is November 24, 2020. For more information, visit http://www.ariss.org/. [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, ARISS Operations, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events Want to see AMSAT in action or learn more about amateur radio in space? AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. Rick Tejera K7TEJ from the Thunderbird Amateur Radio Club (TBARC) will be giving a presentation and demonstration of Satellite operations to the Northwest Christian School in Glendale, AZ on Nov. 11th 2020. The demo will be on SO-50 at 2323UT. I will be using our Club call WB7TBC and the church is in Grid DM33wp. I may try to get a student on the air. Please keep an ear out for us and respond to our call, the kids will appreciate it. I’ll send outa reminder as the date gets closer. Clint Bradford K6LCS has booked his “Work the FM Voice Satellites With Minimal Equipment” presentation for the clubs. TBD – Antelope Valley (CA) ARC TBD – A private presentation for a Boy Scout troop in Danville, Pennsylvania These will be Zoom presentations. Everyone is asked to update their copies of the Zoom application – by directly visiting Zoom.us. [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows, and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Upcoming Satellite Operations Upcoming Roves: Quick Hits: KH67, 7Q7RU, AO-7, RS-44, QO-100, 11/11 thru 11/21. BRAZIL BAHIA. Sandro Ribeiro PY1SAN and Claudio MARCelo PY1CMT are QRV on the QO-100 satellite (some opportunities AO-07, FO-29 or RS-44) using CW and SSB as ZX6BA from Prado (HH02) 13 to 15 November 2020. The activity will be in several HF bands too, using CW and FT8, portable Alex Loop Antenna with 5 watts. QSL via LoTW. BRAZIL, ESPIRITO SANTO. Sandro Ribeiro PY1SAN and Claudio MARCelo PY1CMT are QRV on Satellite QO-100 (maybe AO-07, FO-29, RS-44) using CW and SSB as PR1S from Nova Almeida (GG99) from 16 to 18 November 2020. A activity will be in several HF bands too, using CW and FT8, portable Alex Loop Antenna with 5 watts. QSL via LoTW. Major Roves: Maine!!!!!! @KL7TN will be in FN53/54/55/56/57/64/65/66/67 Nov 13-18. Details to follow. Please submit any additions or corrections to ke0pbr at gmail.com [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an amateur radio package, including two-way communication capability, to be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit. Support AMSAT's projects today at https://www.amsat.org/donate/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Satellite Shorts From All Over + Hackaday featured an article on tracking amateur satellites using a Commodore PET at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-305-Hackaday + If the Hackaday article inspired you to try some retro computer satellite tracking, AMSAT has disk images of QUIKTRAK for both the Commodore 64 and Apple II available at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-306-QUIKTRAK + Virgin Orbit has published an October update regarding Launch Demo 2 at https://virginorbit.com/the-latest/launch-demo-2-october-update/ + Minutes of the AMSAT Board of Directors Meetings of March 17th and March 31st are now available at https://www.amsat.org/minutes-of-the-board-of-directors/ + Several new products are available on the AMSAT Zazzle store, including a set of coasters, a watch, a t-shirt featuring the AMSAT round logo, and more. Check out the new items! 25% of the purchase price goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear + AMSAT Remove Before Flight keychains are again available on the AMSAT store. Purchases help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/product/amsat-remove-before-flight-keychain/ + All issues of The AMSAT Journal dating back to 2014 are now available to AMSAT members on AMSAT's new membership portal. The 1969-2013 archive will be added at a later date. All editions of AMSAT's Symposium Proceedings are also available for members. If you're a current AMSAT member, get logged on today. If you are not yet a member, consider joining today at https://launch.amsat.org/ + The 2020 edition of AMSAT’s Getting Started with Amateur Satellites is now available on the AMSAT store. A perennial favorite, Getting Started is updated every year with the latest amateur satellite information, and is the premier primer of satellite operation. The book is presented in DRM-free PDF format, in full color, and covers all aspects of making your first contacts on a ham radio satellite. The digital download is available for $15 at https://tinyurl.com/2020GettingStarted. The print edition is $30 plus shipping and is available at https://tinyurl.com/GS2020Print --------------------------------------------------------------------- /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi- tional benefits. President's Club donations may be made at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-PresClub. Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space, This week's ANS Editor, Paul Stoetzer, N8HM n8hm at amsat dot org

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ANS November 2020